BEET THEM TO THE PUNCH

The Little Beet, a health-focused, fast-casual spot, used to draw long lunchtime lines for its customizable bowls that mix grains with veggies, proteins and sauces. “We try to be as seasonal as possible,” said 40-year-old Trevor Kunk, the brand’s director of culinary innovation. In the summer, the cucumber and feta salad is “a crowd-pleaser,” he said. Drum it up at home, then add it to a grain bowl with some green beans.

Kirby cucumbers are ideal. Prepare ¾ cup of cucumbers sliced ¼ inch thick, then combine with a ¼ teaspoon apiece of fine sea salt and fresh black pepper, a ¾ teaspoon of za’atar, 3 tablespoons of crumbled feta and the squeezed juice from about half a lemon. There’s also an option for adding 2 tablespoons of pickled red onions. Combine everything, then keep refrigerated for 30 minutes to two hours. Add some in-season string beans. First, season 1 ¼ cup green beans with stem ends removed with 1 ½ teaspoons of thinly sliced garlic, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then toss well. Cook in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees F until brown and blistered, then finish with dry Aleppo pepper flakes, which Kunk recommends buying at Kalustyan’s, and coarse sea salt.

For the grains, quinoa in this case: Boil 1 ¾ cup of water with a teaspoon of fine sea salt before adding a cup of quinoa (Little Beet uses the Simpli brand), then cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn down the heat and cook for another 10 minutes before adding fine sea salt and black pepper, lemon juice and ½ cup sliced scallions. Although this recipe requires some advance planning, these measurements make four servings — that’s nearly a full workweek of lunches.